Every hot spring we have written up in California — where to park, whether the road is open, what the water is actually like, and which ones are clothing-optional.
3 spots have been written up by hand. A further 75 are on the map from public data but nobody has confirmed them yet.
Someone has actually been to each of these. Where we are unsure, the spot page says so.
San Bernardino NF, near Apple Valley · SoCal Mountains
Getting there. San Bernardino NF. ~2 mi hike in (Bradford Ridge or the longer PCT approach) to riverside pools. Clothing-optional by custom. Day-use; adventure pass.
Rules on the ground. National Forest; CO customary. Can get crowded and rowdy on weekends.
If it is your first time. SoCal's famous soak. Go on a cool-season weekday — summer is hot and the pools can get party-ish. Pack out everything.
Death Valley National Park · Death Valley
Getting there. Very remote clothing-optional springs deep in Death Valley NP — hours of rough dirt road (high-clearance/4x4). Volunteer-kept pools, palm oasis.
Rules on the ground. National Park; CO customary. No services, no cell, extreme conditions in summer.
If it is your first time. A serious backcountry expedition — only self-sufficient, off-season, with the right vehicle. Legendary for those who make it.
Sierraville · Sierra Valley
Getting there. A clothing-optional retreat near Sierraville with natural hot pools (Temple Dome, Meditation Pool) in a high mountain meadow. Day passes and lodging; membership at the door.
Rules on the ground. A private retreat where clothing-optional soaking is the norm in the pools. Buy a day membership/pass; follow house rules. Confirm hours and pass availability before driving out.
If it is your first time. A calmer, more meditative cousin to the busier springs — go for the quiet Meditation Pool. It's a paid retreat, not a free wild spring.
These come from OpenStreetMap. They are real places at real coordinates, but nobody has been to them for us yet, so there is no write-up — no parking notes, no word on whether the road is open, no clothing policy. We label them exactly that way rather than pretending otherwise.
If you go to one, you can be the first person to confirm it, and you stay credited on that spot permanently.
Takes about a minute, and you do not need an account.